Scientist – Dub in the Roots Tradition (1996)

“Leave it to the people at Blood and Fire to find the long-thought-lost recordings Scientist made in the mid- to late ’70s under the supervision of Don Mais. Some of these recordings were mixed by Scientist when he was 16 and offer proof of his audaciously creative mind. Helping his mixology along is that the music was supplied by two of the most formidable session bands in Jamaica, the Soul Syndicate (featuring guitarist Chinna Smith), and the Roots Radics band (featuring the grumbling bass of Earl ‘Flabba’ Holt). But it’s the Scientist and his reverb and echo delays that turns this into a dancehall party, a trip that is long, strange and unforgettable.”allmusic

“Scientist aka Hopeton ‘Overton’ Brown, was born on the 18th April 1960. He began his career as an engineer at Studio One in 1978 mixing the dub to Sugar Minott’s ‘Oh Mr. Dc.’ among others. He became a protegé of King Tubby and quickly gained a reputation with his fresh mixing style. Following his stint at Tubby’s, he started working at Channel One, where he became the resident engineer, forging a commercially succesful partnership with Henry Junju Lawes. Scientist’s dubs became so popular and in-demand that by 1980/81 he was actually releasing albums containing his unique mixes of hot Roots Radics riddims. At the end of 1982 the original dub boom was pretty much finished and by 1985 he moved to the USA. This album comes from the early career of Scientist, he was only seventeen or eightteen when he mixed most of these tracks. All tracks were produced by Don Mais for his Roots Tradition label and mixed at King Tubby’s studio. Soul Syndicate and Roots Radics provide the inspirational backing for these wicked dubs. Recommended lethal dub album!”Reggae Vibes